Making Your Mind Up
by DefineNormalitee
Summary: Re-write: previously named 'D is for Desicions'. What would have happened if, in Twilight, Edward had left... and never come back? Short story. Very. Possibly a few chapters long.


**-x-**

**Bella**

Edward Cullen didn't come back to school.

I'd often- ok, every day- look over to the Cullen table, just to see if he was there, and they'd always be looking at me. Well, three of the four; the blonde one, Rosalie, glared. I looked away quickly, but the hostility of the beauty queen was not the thing that disturbed me; it was the curiosity, some days open friendship, of the short one, the one with spiky hair. Alice. It was as if…

As if she knew something I didn't.

I hoped, although I wasn't sure why, for Edward to return to school; this puzzled me, for the last- and only- time we'd met he had looked at me with such fury, such hate that I'd been sure that I'd done something wrong. As if I were… wrong, somehow. But what? We'd only just met, for goodness' sake… Now I'd had time to rationalise my slightly depressed wonderings, I knew that this could not be the case. He'd just been in a bad mood, that was all.

Wasn't it?

"Bella…?" Mike, seated next to me as ever, waved his hand in front of my face in an attempt to bring me back to reality. "Anyone in?"

"Sorry," I said, trying to smile. Unfortunately, my attempts seemed to have been a little too… convincing, because his eyes lit up. Jessica glared at me.

"Are you going to the dance on Saturday?" She asked him, in an attempt to reclaim his attention. It didn't work; he glanced at her once before turning to talk to me, instead.

"No. I haven't been invited," he explained, smiling pointedly at me; I blushed, ducking my head. I could practically feel Jessica's eyes on my head. I glanced upwards, and by default I looked momentarily at the Cullen table.

And then I looked back, stunned.

Alice was watching me, too. And for once, it wasn't friendship or curiosity on her perfect face: it was shock. Pure, unadulterated shock. I stared back, meeting her eyes with what I imagined was a similar expression of shock and confusion. Jasper, the one sat next to Alice, noticed her expression and spoke to her, so quickly that his mouth was blurred. She said something in return, never looking away from me, and one by one I was met with the confused, equally shocked- and in one case, angry- eyes of the Cullens. I tore my eyes from them, trying to focus on my lunch, an apple and a soda. I seemed to have been losing my appetite recently. I knew exactly why, and the answer disturbed me.

Edward Cullen.

**-x-**

**Alice**

The changes in her future were astounding; one minute, I saw Bella and I, arm in arm. The next, she was dead on the floor of her kitchen… I knew exactly why, and it disturbed me.

Edward.

He was changing his mind so quickly now that his future was just a blur; I had once seen him getting into his car and driving two hundred miles closer to us, only to see him stop and turn back. I had, on this occasion, foolishly alerted Esme and the others; when I had told her I was wrong, and that he would not come home… It broke her heart.

I kept my mouth shut from then on.

And now, with the Newton boy leering at her every second of the day, who could be sure that even I was right? Did Bella's future really only have two possible pathways?

The answer was not clear, but I'd say; No. No, it does not.

-**x-**

**Mike**

Why was Jessica prattling on so much? I was too busy trying to score to acknowledge her. Couldn't she see that?

I flushed at the thought of trying to "score"- no matter in what context, it always did that to me. I'd heard all of my older brothers talking about it, but never experienced it first hand (ew). Of course, I'd tried to talk about it, but they'd laughed me off, saying I didn't know anything. To wait a few years, then I'd know.

How right they were…

I felt suddenly grown up, adult, to be trying to score myself; and there wasn't even anyone I could tell! There was Tyler, of course, but then I just knew he'd tell everyone. Even Bella. And there was Eric…

No. Never Eric. Not after… no.

"_Hey, Mike," he'd said._

"_Eric." I acknowledged him. Nothing major._

"_Aw, come on… you're not STILL sore about me TALKING to Bella, are you? It was a one time thing…" he grinned at me, taunting me. I'd never been a violent person before, but it's never to late to start something new…_

"_What do you want, Eric?" Keep it cool, man. Keep it cool…_

"_Bella."_

_And then I'd hit him._

_Because she's mine._

_MINE._

_She just doesn't know it yet. _

And they say men can't hold a grudge…

**-x-**

**Jessica**

What's he staring at her for?

She's not even pretty.

**-x-**

**Bella**

"Bella?"

I blinked, looking up into the deep brown eyes of Mike. He, unlike Jessica, looked genuinely concerned: this brought a genuine smile to my face, one which he happily returned. I could count on him. I have to admit it, Mike was… well, let's just say I was warming to him.

Oh, come on; what wasn't to like? He was funny, he cared about me, and the attention was… flattering. I'd never felt this way about anyone before, and it confused me; a crush? Or… something more? And although he could be annoying at times, or jealous, but I'd never forget how cute he could be when he wasn't mad.

Real cute.

**-x-**

**Alice**

Something new is coming… something different.

I turned to my family to see three pairs of curious eyes on me, and realised I had spoken aloud.

"Alice? What was that?" Emmett spoke, who I think missed Edward most of all of us, save perhaps Esme.

"It's changing. It's all going to change. She's taking another path…"


End file.
